Colo. public TV and radio, nonprofit news group merge

DENVER – Colorado’s largest public television service is merging with a public radio station and a nonprofit investigative reporting organization.

The Denver Post reported Wednesday (http://tinyurl.com/aubcwg4 ) that Rocky Mountain PBS, KUVO and I-News will share resources for news-gathering and other functions.

The agreement formalizes existing partnerships between the public television service and the other groups.

Rocky Mountain PBS has more than 55,000 members and broadcasts on five stations across the state, according to its website. It says it has more than 900,000 viewers weekly in Colorado and surrounding states.

Denver-based KUVO broadcasts jazz, Latin jazz and blues on three frequencies in the Denver area, Summit County and southeastern Wyoming. Its website says it reaches 120,000 listeners weekly.

I-News has worked with other media outlets to report on pharmaceutical company payments to doctors, sexual assault on university campuses and other stories.

The partnership is expected to produce three to five in-depth journalism projects each year, said Doug Price, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain PBS.

The TV service will get access to the state’s growing Hispanic population through KUVO and to I-News’ reporters. KUVO will benefit from the TV service’s business skills. I-News can benefit from Rocky Mountain PBS’ existing organization so it can focus on journalism rather than a business model.